King County Metro has slashed the budgets for the K and R Lines by 20% to 25%, which could scale back planned reliability improvements and rider amenities. The move raises serious questions about the future of the overall RapidRide program. The post Metro Scales Back Scope of RapidRide K, R Lines first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
The Washington Department of Commerce's appeal is the first to come directly from state government to enforce 2021's House Bill 1220, which requires cities to target future housing growth by income level. If successful, it will likely prompt a major change in how the city of nearly 9,000 plans for future residents. The post Duvall Growth Plan Faces Challenge After Disregarding New Housing Law first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
The Urbanist Elections Committee is excited to announce our 2025 general election endorsements, which span the region from Tacoma to Everett. Be sure to vote by November 4. The post 2025 General Election Endorsements first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
At an October 8th forum, urbanist-backed Kirkland City Council candidates discussed housing solutions, but none of their opponents showed, clearly ceding housing leadership in the four races. Here's a recap of the solutions candidates laid out. The post Pro-Housing Kirkland Council Candidates Discuss Affordability, Opponents Skip Forum first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
Last week, the Seattle School Board rejected a year-long pilot program to install a police officer inside Garfield High School in a 5-2 vote. School board directors cited a chaotic process, community distrust, and a need to finetune the plan. The post Seattle School Board Rejects Bringing Police Officer Back to Garfield first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
The idea of a fare-free pilot on several Metro routes, to be implemented in 2027, came about as fares have shrunk as a percentage of Metro's overall sources of revenue. But the data suggests that dropping fares wouldn't be as big of a boon as continuing to focus on expanding transit service. The post Dembowski Pushes Fare-Free Pilot at King County Metro first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
The Urbanist and Tech4Housing are hosting a rally and mega-canvass Sunday in Columbia City for Seattle City Council candidates Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Dionne Foster, and Eddie Lin, City Attorney candidate Erika Evans, and mayoral candidate Katie Wilson. Join us to help put the urbanist slate over the top. The post Op-Ed: Why Seattle’s Housing Future Depends on You first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
One local builder lays out the case for passing the City's Multifamily Tax Exemption Program 7 proposal, which would expand access to a wider pool of renters and encourage participation in the program. The Seattle City Council is set to vote today. The post Op-Ed: Seattle’s MFTE Program 7 Widens Access and Participation first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist